A Lady in Attendance // Book Review

About the Book: 

"Five years in a New York state reformatory have left a blemish on Hazel's real name. So when she takes a job as Doctor Gilbert Watts's lady in attendance in 1898, she does so under an alias. In the presence of her quiet and pious employer, Hazel finds more than an income. She finds a friend and a hope that if she can set her tarnished past in order, she might have a future after all.

As Gilbert becomes accustomed to the pleasant chatter of his new dental assistant, he can't help but sense something secretive about her. Perhaps there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Can the questions that loom between them ever be answered? Or will the deeds of days gone by forever rob the future of its possibilities?

Rachel Fordham pens a tender tale of a soft-spoken man, a hardened woman, and the friends that stand by them as they work toward a common purpose--to expunge the record of someone society deemed beyond saving--and perhaps find love along the way."

Book Review: 

A Lady in Attendance was such a fun read with likable/sweet characters and a exciting lil' mystery to go along with it! I really enjoyed reading this book, and I have to say, it grew on me towards the end! 

I love the uniqueness of having this book centered around dentistry and I immediately felt more connected to the book. Also, can I just say that I LOVE the cover!? 

The book started off slower than I'm used to reading and it honestly didn't grab my attention until I got over half way into it. But nothing was really wrong with the first half, I just needed to get into the characters head more and adjust to the writing style. After I let myself really enjoy it, (at first I was way too critical about small details that seemed unbelievable like dancing with blistered feet after they made such a big deal about it...) but then, I started to really enjoy the storyline and the love story was cute too. There was a big backstory dump that disrupted the flow of the reading but thats a small little nitpick as well.

The characters: 

Hazel. She was such a fun character and so unpredictable! As a "redhead" I thought I'd see more of a feisty side to her character but this side only came out once or twice, (that slap tho!) mostly she was kind-hearted and somewhat sensitive. Her past seemed so out of character for her, but then again, people can make drastic changes and that seems to be her story. I loved seeing how she overcame those past mistakes and learned from them. I love how she was honest with her past and the themes of forgiving herself towards the end were spot on. 

Gilbert. OK, yes, I'm a Anne of Green Gables fan so having a main character named Gil really added to the story. He was just perfect for Hazel! (Always knew what to say) I loved that he was a dentist and I loved their jokes and wit with each other. I was expecting him to be more quiet, but no, he was definitely more bold and a not-so-quiet dentist after all. I also appreciate how he respected Hazel so much to give her space to make up her mind and adjust to a free life, but he also made it clear how he felt (Honesty is such a good thing!) I also liked that he painted... He honestly didn't have many faults besides his horrible thoughts towards Alberta, lol.

I will mention the side characters, Ina and Duncan. They were so sweet and made for a perfect side character romance/friend group! Also, Eddie rubbed me the wrong way but the other difficult character, Alberta, was quite comical.

(A side note. I didn't respect her parents at all for shunning her like they did.)

Concluding thoughts: 

This story started out slow but ended so so sweet and I liked the last half of the book more than I thought I would. The themes of forgiveness and overcoming the past were done really well but I would have liked to see more Christian content especially with the forgiveness message (that would have been a perfect opportunity!) There was also a neat spin on being different and not accepted into society. Well done on balancing the deeper themes with the fun banter. 

It's a solid 4 star and I'd definitely recommend this to any historical romance fans! 

*Thanks Revell Reads for a complementary copy of this new release! All thoughts are my own.

Have you read this new release yet? Does this look like a book that you would read? How did you like my lil' book photoshoot! XD Comment Below with your current read! 

Many Blessings, 

Brooklyne Elysse